Claire Tabouret is a figurative painter who recently relocated from Paris to L.A. With degrees from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts de Paris, Tabouret was the Winner of the Femmes D’Or prize in 2014, and her work is held in the prestigious François Pinault collection. “These paintings are painted in two steps.” Tabouret told us, “First I paint a portrait of a child—nice and tidy. Then I cover it with makeup as one of a child’s first primitive gesture related to painting. The makeup is about painting, but also about wearing a mask. Makeup, when it is not neatly applied can be disturbing, and evoke madness, or brutality.”

If you had never become an artist, what do you think you would be doing now?

There is no other option. I always wanted to be a painter. That’s the only thing I’ve never doubted.

What spiritual beliefs, if any, do you subscribe to?

Energy Healing.

Do you experience a kind of meditative state when you are working?

No I wouldn’t talk about a meditative state. I am in fact very agitated when I am working—always moving around from one work to another, always focused on my next move. I am attracted to art making because it’s a relief when I can transcribe a vision into painting. If I couldn’t paint, I would be overwhelmed by my sensitivity.

What does beauty mean to you?

Beauty for me is when something reaches eternity. A ray of light, music, a painting, sometimes these can make time disappear; it’s a strong and beautiful experience. I think that’s what art should be about: the end of time.